Database Users

Moving to transformer from iPad 2.

Hi all, it's been a long time since I've been around here! As the title says, I'm attempting to move from the iPad 2 to the transformer. I'll miss the thinness and the weight, but there are several reasons why.
I've been thinking of a switch to android for a while, and I think it may be mature enough now. Of course we will see what apple has going tomorrow. Maybe a wow, maybe not. If this move goes well, I'll be passing my iPhone 4 down to my gf and getting a sgs2
This was getting too long so let me cut to the chase:
Which browser? I use atomic and icab now, the former is faster the latter is more full featured. I need web form upload.
Does the android marketplace designate which apps are made for honeycomb? I looked but didn't see anything that stuck out.
What about photo management and development. I'm using filterstorm pro on iPad 2 but I'm guessing there's nothing like that for android?
Any good video editing, simple like iMovie but preferably support avhcd lite?
How's the native rss reader? I use reeder at present and I love it. I don't care for pulse and flipboard newspaper readers.
Native rdp any good? Better solutions?
I use mynzb (I can still use on iPhone but I prefer not just hitting web interface if possible for sabnzbd)
At the end of this I'm really wanting to give it a solid go, but have limited time to see if it works out (and ensure I don't have any potential build issues) so I appreciate your bearing with me and the help!
Anyone else switch from iPad to transformer? Tips?
Thanks again!

Hello, hope this helps:
h00ligan said:
Hi all, it's been a long time since I've been around here! As the title says, I'm attempting to move from the iPad 2 to the transformer. I'll miss the thinness and the weight, but there are several reasons why.
I've been thinking of a switch to android for a while, and I think it may be mature enough now. Of course we will see what apple has going tomorrow. Maybe a wow, maybe not. If this move goes well, I'll be passing my iPhone 4 down to my gf and getting a sgs2
This was getting too long so let me cut to the chase:
Which browser? I use atomic and icab now, the former is faster the latter is more full featured. I need web form upload.
Dolphin HD Beta (you have to side load this one)
Does the android marketplace designate which apps are made for honeycomb? I looked but didn't see anything that stuck out.
It's not as easy to figure out which are honeycomb optimized. You have to look in the app details. But most apps automatically stretch to full screen. So it's mostly not an issue.
What about photo management and development. I'm using filterstorm pro on iPad 2 but I'm guessing there's nothing like that for android?
Any good video editing, simple like iMovie but preferably support avhcd lite?
You're most likely not going to get any imovie level movie editor. There's the stock video editor that comes with 3.1, but it's really basic.
How's the native rss reader? I use reeder at present and I love it. I don't care for pulse and flipboard newspaper readers.
THere are two good ones, Feedly (uses google to sync Rss) and pulse
Native rdp any good? Better solutions?
I use mynzb (I can still use on iPhone but I prefer not just hitting web interface if possible for sabnzbd)
At the end of this I'm really wanting to give it a solid go, but have limited time to see if it works out (and ensure I don't have any potential build issues) so I appreciate your bearing with me and the help!
Anyone else switch from iPad to transformer? Tips?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I'll have to look up side loading! Thanks for the advice.

I also just moved from an Ipad 2 to transformer.
Right away, I noticed a few things:
1. There is no native honeycomb ebook reader.
2. You cannot play video in full screen because the status bar is always sticking out there. Seriously????
3. 16:10 is terrible for read books. however, I admit that it has some advantages for viewing wider webpages.
4. Zinio. I used to have zinio on my ipad 2... man... that thing was smooth...However, it is not the case on the transformer.
5. Newspapers: where is my businessweek on honeycomb? or the daily?
6. No home button. No lock rotation button. Everytime I try to unlock it I have to make sure it's not upside down so I can find the damn power button. Don't tell me that apple has patented the home button and rotation button.
7. Market: I was astonished when I open the market and found out the main page apps are actually not made for tablet.
8. Porn: now works. still not in full screen though (God, I hate that status bar)

So are you sticking with it?
Seems really odd that status bar won't hide! I thought kindle for android existed?
Porn...well..there was always that one or three sites that worked with iPad - don't know the site policy so I'll refrain from specifying Heh.

If you are used to some apps in iOS, you'll find that a lot of those unfortunately have no Android counterpart. However, given you have decided to try Honeycomb for a drive, I'd recommend you to have a look at the nearest alternatives.
For an E-reader, try Google Books, Amazon Kindle or Zinio for it. Zinio is still new to Android so definitely expect lag and bugs. There's no capable video editor sadly, but RSS readers are aplenty; there's Minimal Reader widget right here at XDA, and there's also Feedly as someone already said. Best browsers to go for that combine speed and features are Skyfire, Dolphin HD and Opera, though Opera has no Flash yet due to lack of source code.

I wanna add that is there a way to skip the lock screen at all? seems quite odd to me that you have to go for an extra step because the power button is already really really..really...really hard to press. There is no way I am pressing it on accident!!
Btw, thanks for the all the app suggestions. I am trying them out as right now.

As far as I can tell, the default lockscreen cannot be disabled, sorry. If you have any more questions regarding Honeycomb or the Transformer, just ask us.

OP, here's the thread with all the compatible apps so far for our tablet:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1032381

unquick said:
I also just moved from an Ipad 2 to transformer.
Right away, I noticed a few things:
1. There is no native honeycomb ebook reader.
2. You cannot play video in full screen because the status bar is always sticking out there. Seriously????
3. 16:10 is terrible for read books. however, I admit that it has some advantages for viewing wider webpages.
4. Zinio. I used to have zinio on my ipad 2... man... that thing was smooth...However, it is not the case on the transformer.
5. Newspapers: where is my businessweek on honeycomb? or the daily?
6. No home button. No lock rotation button. Everytime I try to unlock it I have to make sure it's not upside down so I can find the damn power button. Don't tell me that apple has patented the home button and rotation button.
7. Market: I was astonished when I open the market and found out the main page apps are actually not made for tablet.
8. Porn: now works. still not in full screen though (God, I hate that status bar)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. What do you mean by Native? Aldiko works perfectly in high resolution. Asus even included their own book reader.
2. I'll give you this. But only because I haven't tried all the video players on the market.
3. I think its fine. And its actually perfect for comic and magazine reading unlike the ipad.
4. Zinio works well enough for me.
6. Eh, there's a soft home button obviously. No hard button because... this is honeycomb and not gingerbread or any older flavor. And you can lock orientation. Click on the clock then again. I've always found the ipad's hardware lock switch redundant and dumb.
7. The top section of the market's main page clearly says featured tablet apps... thats right. It's there. Click on it and you'll see more. The ipad had quite a head start so obviously you can't compare the number of apps just yet.
8. Yes! Adobe Flesh!
So yeah, the ios is smoother because if obvious reasons. But HC is already very good and useable. I have both and I find myself using the TF a whole kit more often.
PS: the most reeder-ish reader is Newer. And its free!
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

2) the ipad has the home button. the status bar in honeycomb is the equivalent of that to the ipad. without it, you can't go home. honeycomb doesn't have a hardware home button. it's not technically part the screen.
I don't need a signature.

Also best ebook reader app is nook. Try it and u will never miss ibooks again.
Sent from my Samsung Epic

Thanks for the input. I saw the tablet section but see apps mentioned that are not listed in there, so that was a bit confusing coming from the segregated iPad/iPhone layout with plus signs for universal
Any additions welcome. Thanks!

jjsoviet said:
As far as I can tell, the default lockscreen cannot be disabled, sorry. If you have any more questions regarding Honeycomb or the Transformer, just ask us.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you can. Look under security. I disabled mine the first day.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

Zinio in market is great.
Kindle honeycomb version hides status bar buttons as dies the native YouTube and video buttons.
Other book readers work fine but status bar information shows.
As more apps get updated to work with 3.1 honeycomb which was just released more will use the lights out feature and dim out the status bar.

I'm very disappointed with what the 3.1 updated did to the browser. It's basically unusable for me now because the keyboard lag is so bad. I'm using Opera Mini, I think it's a great browser, it's so fast. The only complaint is it doesn't let you change the user agent string, so you always get mobile versions of websites. Grrr. Hope Opera fixes this. Dolphin HD is pretty awesome too. Firefox should be beaten with a rubber hoses for what they released.
Android Market does a piss poor job identifying Tablet optimized applications. They have a "Featured Tablet Apps" section, however there are other apps that are tablet optimized that aren't include. And after seeing how crappy Zombies vs Plants looks on a tablet, I definitely want to know before hand which games are optimized for tablet screens. Android needs to fix this.
One other small complaint about the Market. Why does it only work in landscape mode? I do like holding my tablet in portrait mode a lot, and it sucks this Market doesn't work that way.
The status bar always showing up during most video play back doesn't bother me. The screen is 16:10 and the videos are usually 16:9, so there is still a little unused space at the top and bottom anyway. And the native Google video player does dim the status bar so you barely notice it. I'm fine with this, though would like to see other video players be able to dim the status bar like the native one does.
No home button doesn't bother me. Sure there are times I grab the tablet upside down and can't find the power button immediately. And as someone that has used an iPad for a year I sometimes even instinctively move my thumb towards where I think it should be. But overall I think I like the clean front glass with no buttons. Kinda wish it has no logo either, but oh well.
My main complaint about the Transformer vs iPad is the comfort. Holding my iPad just feels so much more comfortable and I imagine the iPad 2 is even more so with it being lighter and thinner. The Transformer has lots of edges, especially when held in portrait. While this makes it looks better aesthetically when docked with it's keyboard, it is a sacrifice to it's comfort as a tablet in hand.
But it's $100 cheaper, lighter than most other Android tablets, and I like Android more than iOS. So I think I'm happy.

Well it arrived today, here are a couple of tidbits and quick first impressions
Pros:
Not as heavy as I thought it would be
Screen is very nice. Comparing to iOS devices, it's more iPhone than iPad.
Battery seems to charge pretty quickly
I like some of the customization choices
It plays flash but (see below)
Love the gmail client
The font, once getting used to it, is more crisp than apple's offering on the iPad.
Cons:
wifi is a disaster, the radio power must be soooo low or drivers not optimized.. anything to do to boost it? Given I have numerous other devices connecting way better, I'm not tearing part my network because one can't power a radio or optimize drivers. I get virtually no connection in a room where my iPad connects at 100-130.
Opera, dolphin, stock browsers all feel incomplete and slow to do anything (maybe wifi related)
Steep learning curve for privacy options with the google auto sign in stuff, this is down to me.
Android marketplace is kind of a mess.
Fwiw, mine came shipped With 3.0.1. I don't notice any glaring issues in an hour's use..but havent checked for bleed, balance, etc. And I may not.
Right now, tbh, things are going to have to get a lot better for me to replace an iPad, or even a netbook with this device, but I just started...so I recognize these thoughts are premature and my have a lot to do with lack of familiarity. The wifi issue would be a huge deal breaker if I can't do anything other than reposition routers..it will go back.

unquick said:
I also just moved from an Ipad 2 to transformer.
Right away, I noticed a few things:
1. There is no native honeycomb ebook reader.
2. You cannot play video in full screen because the status bar is always sticking out there. Seriously????
3. 16:10 is terrible for read books. however, I admit that it has some advantages for viewing wider webpages.
4. Zinio. I used to have zinio on my ipad 2... man... that thing was smooth...However, it is not the case on the transformer.
5. Newspapers: where is my businessweek on honeycomb? or the daily?
6. No home button. No lock rotation button. Everytime I try to unlock it I have to make sure it's not upside down so I can find the damn power button. Don't tell me that apple has patented the home button and rotation button.
7. Market: I was astonished when I open the market and found out the main page apps are actually not made for tablet.
8. Porn: now works. still not in full screen though (God, I hate that status bar)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2. Funny how in your 3rd point, you mentioned 16:10, but your 2nd point contradicts it. Since you know the screen is 16:10 (1280x800), you should know most videos are 16:9 or 4:3 right? So if the menu were to disappear and you get to "full screen" your video, it'll only stretch it and make the stuff look long and skinny.

O, I'm feeling more optimistic. I had forgotten the update is to 3.1 not 3.0.1 and the slowness may have been the update DL in the bg... It's installing now, wish me luck
@frosty, I think he just doesn't want the distracting light, not necessarily the aspect.

frosty5689 said:
2. Funny how in your 3rd point, you mentioned 16:10, but your 2nd point contradicts it. Since you know the screen is 16:10 (1280x800), you should know most videos are 16:9 or 4:3 right? So if the menu were to disappear and you get to "full screen" your video, it'll only stretch it and make the stuff look long and skinny.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am OK with 16:9 videos. However, the status bar actually shrinks 4:3 videos.
@ravizzle, where can I find this Nook app?
@knx2, thanks for info. I had it disabled. It made me a lot happier.

*Still* the new Hotness

Ok, so the Transformer has firmly ensconced itself in my "Digital Lifestyle" (tm).. why am I posting this? Because with all the pieces starting to fall into place, this device is really still sitting there as the new hotness..
Those pieces are.. (ok, they probably won't mean much to your average joe consumer, but given the often bumpy ride we've taken to get here, means a lot to me..)
Timely updates from Asus (yeah, Honeycomb 3.1 delivered on time as promised put a big smile on many faces)
The Dock (and its subsequent fixes)
Increasing number of apps
Slowly increasing selection of accessories (yeah, I like my FolioGuard)
I'll admit to being a happy consumer of Apple's IPad First Gen.. I know its not for everyone, but for me and the missus, having a tablet to just pick up and use for web surfing, email, showing pictures, watching episodes of Fringe in a hotel room on a rained out holiday etc., the ease of use of a tablet class device both at home and when travelling for "media consumption" was something that fit right into our household needs...
..Unfortunately, with the iPad there was always something "missing".. The Wife wondered whether she'd be able to take it away to work conferences as a replacement for her netbook - giving her superior battery life, a better screen and just better "comfort" ergonomics.. The answer was no dice.. Given that as part of her work she had a need to handle decrypting and encrypting emails (amongst other things that necessitated her carrying at least a netbook class device and the overal 'flexibility' of a full fleged OS) the iOS solutions that existed were just for want of a better word.. messy..
..Then Google teased us all with glimpses of Honeycomb and Asus teased us further with the Transformer and what just might be possible..
Fast forward a little while and one quick install of K9 with APG later.. job done..
She's off to another conference in Paris tomorrow, wants to take my beloved TF with her.. to see if she really can replace her netbook and extra batteries, with it and the dock.. see how she gets on with the better screen and superior battery life... see how she copes with doing the things she'd normally feel confident doing with a PC O/S... so far, all her key bases have been covered courtesy of the Android Market and a little learning curve.. but time will tell..
I do know that she also wanted to copy some episodes of Grey's Anatomy she'd recorded and put on her USB stick, to the tablet's SD card for watching on the flight if she didn't have the dock handy.. She took my TF to work today, to see how she got on with it, without me hovering like an anxious parent.. I got an instant message a short while later saying the files had been copied via to dock and she'd tested them in Moboplayer just fine..
..In an iOS world.. forget it.. (ok, not without a trip home to dock the ipad to the mothership, fire up iTunes.. copy/sync the .avi files to CineXPlayer and hope its compatible.. hardly the end of the world but, let's be honest.. its a faff fo' sho')
The thing is.. I was left with the 'old' iPad today, for my casual surfing/the usual XDA lurking etc... and as great as that device still is.. it felt... primative.. behind the times.. I've seen the future of iOS as have a great many of you.. and it feels.. well.. lets just say its going to be a long week without my transformer (minor light bleed and the occasional force close - how I shall miss thee)

Quick question (for any owners really). With the dock, do you still get the touch screen? A lot of reviews don't really mention that, they either mention how much the do or do not like the touch pad, but don't bring up if they can still use the touch screen in conjunction. Not a HUGE deal per say, but I am curious.

The touchscreen is still fully usable when docked!
Transformer rocks!

degeneration said:
Quick question (for any owners really). With the dock, do you still get the touch screen? A lot of reviews don't really mention that, they either mention how much the do or do not like the touch pad, but don't bring up if they can still use the touch screen in conjunction. Not a HUGE deal per say, but I am curious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the touchscreen is still fully operational. The touchpad is nice, but still too sensitive, needs to be updated to not be so touchy, so a lot of times I disable it and just touch the screen. Works great.

It sure is cool having a netbook formfactor type device with a fully functioning multi-touch screen.. you'll feel weird going back to a 'normal' laptop/netbook after using it

I find it interesting how I adapted some sort half-screen, half-keyboard interaction with the transformer. I always thought when I got it that I would do one or the other while using it - now it is like use keyboard, keyboard short-cut here, tap screen, tap screen, keyboard short-cut, tap, keyboard etc. etc.

bithir said:
I find it interesting how I adapted some sort half-screen, half-keyboard interaction with the transformer. I always thought when I got it that I would do one or the other while using it - now it is like use keyboard, keyboard short-cut here, tap screen, tap screen, keyboard short-cut, tap, keyboard etc. etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, same here. I was using my laptop the other day and i started touching the screen before i realized that it didnt have a touch screen .

jms_uk said:
It sure is cool having a netbook formfactor type device with a fully functioning multi-touch screen.. you'll feel weird going back to a 'normal' laptop/netbook after using it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like when you pick up someone's old dumb phone and try to open something up by touching it, then tapping it, then pounding it, then remembering a time before touch screens?

bithir said:
I find it interesting how I adapted some sort half-screen, half-keyboard interaction with the transformer. I always thought when I got it that I would do one or the other while using it - now it is like use keyboard, keyboard short-cut here, tap screen, tap screen, keyboard short-cut, tap, keyboard etc. etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same with me. I kept trying to touch my dads laptop screen to click icons. Really is a super nice experience with the option for both input methods
Sent from my X10i using XDA Premium App

degeneration said:
Like when you pick up someone's old dumb phone and try to open something up by touching it, then tapping it, then pounding it, then remembering a time before touch screens?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Soooooooo true

I'm finding the more I use it, the more new things I can do with it and poor PC must think its days are numbered,the dock just makes it, and while having to tweak certain things to your liking to me that's what makes mine feel unique
ASUS TRANSFORMER PRIMED

combat goofwing said:
I'm finding the more I use it, the more new things I can do with it and poor PC must think its days are numbered,the dock just makes it, and while having to tweak certain things to your liking to me that's what makes mine feel unique
ASUS TRANSFORMER PRIMED
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since my G1 I have realized half the fun of android is the tweaking. However everyone keeps bringing up the dock. My plan is to just get the tablet for now, and once my school money starts rolling in again i will pick up the dock. Will I be less than satisfied until then?
I hate admitting it but I am guessing a majority of it's use during the summer with be dungeon defenders and http://www.gamesforcats.com/... DON'T JUDGE ME!

Still no update for me.
I do not plan on rooting it or force the update though.

haha i agree with all of this my TF with dock is the best.. never use my laptop much anymore.. especially due to the keyboard. And just like a few of you when i did use my laptop i touched the screen once forgetting it wasnt touch screen.. b/c on my TF i definitely use both touch and keyboard in conjunction with each other to surf around.
TF and Honeycomb is a match made in heaven!

[SOLVED] Why on hell nobody talking about this crap keyboard quality ?

Hi,
I've just get a confirmation by other members that the dock keyboard is not well suited for fast typing ! I'm really amazed that nobody in eeepad forums (I googled them all) is talking about this problem, which is really an issue for a >100 $ keyboard ! Am I the only one to consider this keyboard as a kind of toy ?
Do this experience : if you type a key not right in the center, but on the side, you will find a place when the key is pressed and we can hear it, but nothing appears on the screen ! An it's really near from the center of the key ! Do this experience with any keyboard laptop, and the key responds, no matter where you press it.
So buyers, beware, if you are a quick typer, this keyboard is a kind of joke for me... But an expensive one !
Cheers !
Update for people reading this thread, see page 5 for more explanation :
ok guys, following constructive advice of some of you, I did an rma, and try another one eeepad... I must admit that I got a lemon, the dock keyboard I have right now is acceptable, i'm typing at 90% of my full speed, but anyway, it responds far better than the one I had.
I had a defective keyboard unit.
To test if your keyboard is ok, do this simple test :
1. open Polaris
2. hit a key on the center : it must work
3. hit at the middle right of the key : it must work
4. hit the key almost at the end (right) of the key : it must work
The same for the left. If 3 and 4 doesn't work very well, the mechanic of your keyboard is bad : change it.

It sounds to me you are simply not typing in the right way..or you may have a defect unit
I can type on my TF keyboard just as fast as on my laptop.
And expensive? really? for 50 quid (with bundle)? most laptop battery alone will cost the same.

Yeah I dont really have problems typing on mine either. It takes a little time to get used to its size though

I'm typing for almost 20 years, I'm around 55 words per minute, and I'm a well trained typer... I don't think that I'm typing in the wrong way for a very simple reason :
- I've got a bunch of laptops, used a lot of keyboards (probably dozens), and never meet this kind of problem, and one day ; I try the eeepad dock keyboard, and it seems that I have to learn a new way of typing ? Why ? Because if you don't type a key right in the center, but sometimes with a kind of angle and not centered, the key does not respond. Hell, make the test ! And try with any other laptop keyboard ! Taste the difference.
I think it's ok for two finger typers, or quick typer who hit hard on the keyboard, but my style is more kind of hit-light-and-fast typer, and anyway I've got a confirmation of two other members that there is a typing problem.
But the thing which is the most amazing is that it seems that I'm the first one to notice the problem, it seems that a lot of us are happy with this keyboard... Probably it can be the case for not-so-fast-typers, but for quick typers, it's like to get back again with an old car when you are used to go in Porsche.
So my advice, if you are a quick typer, go... go away... from this keyboard... poor fool...

I haven't had too many issues... I will say the keys need a solid press in some instances though.

altsyst said:
So my advice, if you are a quick typer, go... go away... from this keyboard... poor fool...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a 50+ wpm typer as well. I've had zero issues with mine (apart from a dead W key). Maybe you should take a look at your own issue. Why are you the only one complaining about this? I got a defective unit with a W key that wouldn't work no matter how hard, soft, fast, or slow you pressed it. You may have a defective unit as well.

You have to ensure that you press keys all the way down. But, if I do that I have no specific issues with the keyboard. But the Asus keyboard suffers from the same issues I see in many small laptop/netbook keyboards, namely the keys are too flat and the travel is too short. I guess they do this to save space, but it makes me long for a full size keyboard.

I type around 50-60 words per minute myself and, since the OTA, haven't had any major issues with the dock keyboard. I'm a little slower on it, just like I'm a little slower on my netbook, but that's to be expected.
IMHO, either you've got a bad dock or you're doing something wrong.

alexk1781 said:
IMHO, either you've got a bad dock or you're doing something wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I love the keyboard and the feeling when typing is fantastic. Sounds like you got a lemon.

Mine has been fine. Just to note its not a $150 keyboard. That includes the battery, dock, SD reader, charger and USB host functions.

I'm also a pretty fast and light typist....and the keyboard feels like you have to hit it with a hammer to get it to register key strokes....just a little bit to the side of a key and it doesn't do anything.

I noticed slow response from dock keyboard while I'm typing in google stocked browser. At the other hand Opera is working flawlessly. Other apps, stocked and 3rd party are working fine (ie: mail, gmail app etc)

As a macbook pro owner ican tell you the keyboard is fine. It is the nature of chiclet style keys that makes it feeldifferent. With time you get used to it and also keys soften a bit too.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

I own a variety of Thinkpads from the small X series to larger W. They are acknowledged as having the best laptop keyboards and I've had no problems using the Transformer keyboard instead.
Now if you were complaining about the battery drain the dock induces, I could agree with you!

I'm finding the keyboard fine to type on but its not much different from my netbook or even my 14inch work laptop. It takes time moving to the smaller layout but thats just down to practise.

I haven't had any issues outside of the software lag. I type at 70-75 wpm, but (then again) I'll admit I haven't used it for anything that would require a ton of typing to really condign recognize if there were issues.
You sparked my interest now. I am going to test and see if I have any issues.
I will say that, outside of typing, there are so many benefits to the keyboard dock that I still feel it is worth it one way our the other.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

rpavich said:
I'm also a pretty fast and light typist....and the keyboard feels like you have to hit it with a hammer to get it to register key strokes....just a little bit to the side of a key and it doesn't do anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly !! Nobody has noticed that ??? Maybe it's due to the type of typist you are ? But it seems that for fast and light typist, it's an issue... For fast and hard typist, it's not... And when I'm typing, I'm not typing always right in the center of the key, but a little bit to the side, and this is why I found that typing on this dock is a problem for me...

Canadoc said:
As a macbook pro owner ican tell you the keyboard is fine. It is the nature of chiclet style keys that makes it feeldifferent. With time you get used to it and also keys soften a bit too.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info...good to know. this is my first chicklet keyboard.

Canadoc said:
As a macbook pro owner ican tell you the keyboard is fine. It is the nature of chiclet style keys that makes it feeldifferent. With time you get used to it and also keys soften a bit too.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It definitely has the same feel as a MacBook. I have never been a huge fan of these flat keys with limited travel. But, as long as people want thin devices we will keep getting them.

You're doing it wrong.

LOL this keyboard

there was so much hype about the keyboard when it came out and i had a thread in august or july about how it is totally overpriced at $150 and i thought $108-115 was a reasonable MSRP.
now that im typing on it, it really isnt that great. the keys are pretty cramped and i'm used to my mechanical keyboard so i keep missing keystrokes, thinking the keys will activate halfway down the stroke. instead of having to bottom them out. if the chicklet keys were more crisp it would be more tolerable but they are squishy and there is no definitive bottom out lol
cringing while i type this, anyone want to buy it?

and the reason im making this thread is because people ridiculed me for like 6 pages about how it's the best thing ever and they would pay 200 for it LOL

I could steal it....
Just messing, it is just like any new keyboard takes a bit of getting used to.
Saying that with it sat on the sofa as I type adding to the bounce probably pressed delete 10 times typing this out after making mistakes.
Honestly though you do get used to it and I use it all the time typing long emails or even creating quotes at work etc.
How long you had it ?

How much you willing to sell it for?

For typing long e-mails, this keyboard is much better than using the soft keyboard. It's definitely not perfect and if it were just a keyboard, I'm not sure I would have bought it but it also has a nice high capacity battery and that makes it better than any other keyboard on the market for tablets.
However it has 2 big issues for me:
1) Touchpad is way too sensitive forcing me to turn is off while I type.
2) Keys must be slammed on to complete a keystroke. Literally I feel like I'm driving down on each stroke which makes typing slower and more cumbersome.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

Yep, definitely, the only downside to this keyboard is the touchpad. It's good that it's a tablet though because I always turn it off..

the battery is excellent i'll give it that

At the beginning I was like you, but 3 months later (or something like that), it's over. You just need to use it often, and it'll be better.

If you read the reviews at all, that have been out for a year now, you would know that the keyboard is crap. But it's a netbook keyboard and it's a one of a kind item. Yes, I would pay $200 for the keyboard because without the keyboard this tablet is worthless. Both in the aspect of the GTab 10.1 being superior tablet, and that I wouldn't want a tablet that I couldn't use as a netbook.
Do you people really just go out and buy things without doing any research/reading any reviews? Shame...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

i bought it so i could put windows xp on it but there was no cd rom bay

chatch15117 said:
i bought it so i could put windows xp on it but there was no cd rom bay
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Lol, try Splashtop and make an RDP connection to your pc. Windows 7 on your tablet! Even better, use a good wireless keyboard connected to your pc to be able to sit in front of the tablet and use good old Office in stead of the crappy Office wannabee software such as Polaris. Saved me from buying an totally overpriced and dodgy Asus keyboard.

Martijn1971 said:
Lol, try Splashtop and make an RDP connection to your pc. Windows 7 on your tablet! Even better, use a good wireless keyboard connected to your pc to be able to sit in front of the tablet and use good old Office in stead of the crappy Office wannabee software such as Polaris. Saved me from buying an totally overpriced and dodgy Asus keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1373965

It isn't a full size keyboard. That should have been obvious before buying it. It isn't meant to replace a computer. Don't like it, return it or sell it. No reason for the thread. Personal preference is just that.

Gary13579 said:
If you read the reviews at all, that have been out for a year now, you would know that the keyboard is crap. But it's a netbook keyboard and it's a one of a kind item. Yes, I would pay $200 for the keyboard because without the keyboard this tablet is worthless. Both in the aspect of the GTab 10.1 being superior tablet, and that I wouldn't want a tablet that I couldn't use as a netbook.
Do you people really just go out and buy things without doing any research/reading any reviews? Shame...
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keyboard is crap? I've owned the keyboard dock since day one and I find it indispensable. In fact, the transformer is just another ordinary tablet without it.
Then again, I need my device for business use. Perhaps those who don't like it, simply don't have a need for it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

i like the idea of the keyboard but these scissor switches are terrible
does anyone here actually have a mechanical keyboard?

I have used my keyboard for my last year of school and I would say that 75% of my use is with the keyboard on mine.. I agree that the keyboard is what makes the tablet.. Yes it is different then a regular keyboard.. its the same size as most netbook keyboards.. 92% of full size right?
I didnt like it at first either, but after a month on it, I can type just as fast on my transformers keyboard as I can on any of my other keyboards.. just have to give it some time.

chatch15117 said:
i like the idea of the keyboard but these scissor switches are terrible
does anyone here actually have a mechanical keyboard?
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Click to collapse
I do, a Siig keyboard with Cherry Mx Blues (wanted to get a Das but I didn't have the cash for it).
I mean honestly, I've been typing on keyboards since I was a toddler (used to play with my mom's old portable IBM computer back when she was a consultant manager). Some keyboards are much more comfortable to type on than others depending on layouts and the technology under the hood so to speak, but with a little time you tend to get used to whatever you're stuck on (unless the keyboard in question is inherently broken, your hands are way too big, etc.)
For quick notes in class, my transformer is now simply awesome. Before I got my dock, it was a Netflix bed machine and not much else. After grabbing my dock from CL for $60, I actually have a handly little netbook/tablet now.
If you don't like it, that doesn't affect how much enjoyment I'll be getting out of mine. I hope you do come to enjoy the newfound utility of your Transformer though.

USB ports. That is all.

EP2008 said:
Keyboard is crap? I've owned the keyboard dock since day one and I find it indispensable. In fact, the transformer is just another ordinary tablet without it.
Then again, I need my device for business use. Perhaps those who don't like it, simply don't have a need for it.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read my post? I said that it was absolutely necessary, as the device p much sucks without it. That doesn't stop the keyboard from being total ****. It's very difficult to type on, even compared to normal notebook keyboards.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

I use my keyboard daily! I blog a bit, do lots of business emails on it (much better than typing on an iPhone all day).
I always end up turning off the touchpad to type.
I would not buy a tablet without a real keyboard after having one.
BUT - That is my preference. Not everyone feels the same way about the keyboard.
And one great side effect is when someone asks you about your "laptop" or "netbook" and you tell them it is not either, but it is a tablet. Then you get to watch them have a nerdgasm when you undock it and keep using it.

Is the Note Pro 12.2 for Me?

I'm in the market for a tablet (or possibly a Chromebook). I'm an editor of a website and need to be able to use it to work on my Wordpress site effectively so strong browser support and keyboard input is crucial.
I like the idea of an Android tablet as I own a Galaxy S4 and have a large collection of Android apps already. Thus, it would also start out with a nice collection of apps.
I'm a bit unclear as to the differences between the Tab Pro 12.2 and the Note Pro 12.2. They seem very alike except for the stylus. Clearly I'm missing something as that's not much to account for the price difference.
I have an iPad 2 and it's nice but I can't really work on it at all. It's too small to enjoy movies on and, sorry, it's Apple so it's too limited.
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.
I'm older so larger is better for my eyes. I'm at a point where I often pretty much need reading glasses for my S4 now.
For ages I was thinking I wanted a Transformer of some design but Asus seems to have fallen behind. Samsung seems to give me lots of potential breathing room.
Any input greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I'm pretty sure the Note Pro and Tab Pro are identical except for the S-Pen and wacom digitizer that powers it. Absolutely if you don't need pen input for notes or drawing then get the Tab.
You can use just about any Bluetooth keyboard with the Pro 12.2. I've had no trouble with several Logitech and Microsoft BT keyboards. I haven't used any of the made-for Note 12.2 keyboards.
My personal fave keyboard is the Logitech K810. It feels excellent for typing, has backlit keys and can instantly switch between 3 different devices.Its very quiet too- keys feel really nice.
Honestly though, if you really want the best laptop style experience, personally I'd opt for a decent lightweight x86 laptop vs a tablet. I'm not crazy about chromebooks though. I'd personally take the Note 12.2 over a chromebook any day, but that's just me.

Thanks. I keep thinking about a laptop but wonder about battery life, weight and the lack of instant-on, etc. I have my desktop always on so x86 isn't a problem. I saw the Tab Pro 12.2 at Best Buy today (they didn't have the Note Pro 12.2) and the size was fine.
However, on your keyboard issue. My concern is that I would like it to be connected so that it can act as a solid laptop replacement. It sounds like you use yours, say, around the house? Not sure how comfortable I'd be transporting two devices like that.

Years ago I'd loathe the thought of converting to Mac but I gotta tell ya, the retina macbook pros are pretty sweet in regards to battery life and instant on . . .
Agree with Zaptoons. Mobile platforms are always a compromise. I have to wonder if you'll be able to do the Wordpress work on Android, though I do see that there are apps for it.

muzzy996 said:
Years ago I'd loathe the thought of converting to Mac but I gotta tell ya, the retina macbook pros are pretty sweet in regards to battery life and instant on . . .
Agree with Zaptoons. Mobile platforms are always a compromise. I have to wonder if you'll be able to do the Wordpress work on Android, though I do see that there are apps for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the Mac, that might be a bit out of the price range for this purchase. I also really despise Apple on too many fronts. I recommend them highly and readily -- just not for me so far, but I will continue to refresh the thinking.
On Wordpress work, it really comes down to the capability of the browser. As long as it supports a solid browser experience, I should be okay. I hit Best Buy today to see if the 12.2 would be "too big" and it wasn't. I loaded the browser and it seemed to be solid. I just wasn't comfortable logging into Wordpress though. No idea about stored accounts, etc.

I hear you on the mac.
Definition of solid performance is subjective, you realize that right?
Let's put it this way; unless there's a tablet specific application to do what you need to on wordpress then nothing other than screen size is going to differ between the Note Pro and your s4. The browsers are going to be about the same.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

Leading up to the launch of the Note Pro 12.2 I was eager to get one. Then I stopped by Best Buy and, on a whim, picked up the Acer C720P Chromebook. For a third the cost it doesn't have as big, high resolution or bright of a screen as the Note Pro but it has served me well for everything I need in a mobile device. I even stopped using my Note 10.1 OG. Notice I said mobile device. The Acer has typically given me a solid 7 hours of batter life which is amazing.
Having said that...if you are worried about needing reading glasses and want more screen real estate, the Note Pro might be your path. Though, with a higher resolution type is smaller at normal zoom. You can simply zoom in for bigger text.
If WordPress is your thing, the Chromebook will handle that with no issues. It is a browser afterall.
I'm still contemplating the Note Pro but it is not at the top of my wish list since I purchased the Chromebook. At first it was weird to get used to but it is second nature now and the added offline support for most of the Google apps has sealed the deal for me.
Just my two cents.

Again, great info from all. My thoughts:
1. I haven't had good luck with Android Wordpress apps. To me, they're all a kludge. However, that doesn't mean you can't be productive with Wordpress on Android. The limitation on my S4 is real estate. The browser seems to work fine but I can't be effective with the size of the screen or the keyboard. I suspect a larger screen would work. In part I was hoping I'd get lucky and find another Wordpress user who happened to have luck (or no luck) on this device or a similar one.
2. I have a bit of a klunky Chromebook. A while back I installed Chrome on a eePC -- an entry level Asus T100 or something like that. It's a horrible piece of HARDWARE. I have zero issues with the OS itself and it feels very natural to me. However, I have this haunting feeling that Chrome itself is becoming a dinosaur. As Android continues to prosper, it's dwarfing Chrome to such a point that, I suspect, Android will evolve into being an OS we can use on any device. Maybe I'm missing something entirely about its potential, but that's my thinking. There isn't much going on in the development world for it compared to Android where there's exponentially more options.
Right now, having seen it, I'm concerned about ease of keyboard use (physical). Given the top-heavy design of the tablet having most of the weight, using it on my lap looks pretty impossible. The right keyboard seems an issue too. Samsung's has those raised edges that, I suspect my wrists will want to sit on (ouch). Logitech's keyboard sounds great except for the fact that most of the reviews of it contain horror stories of the Note Pro falling out of its clasps. The other options are all poorly reviewed.
Asus has the combo Android/Windows device but its not all that impressive. Heck, I'd rather it was an Android/Chrome device. hehe

It also appears as if the hybrid options from Asus are cancelled due to pressure from both Google and Microsoft. hehe Neither their Duet or Trio looked all that impressive (lousy battery life, Android 4.2, low resolution, average screens).

Update please
Agrajag27 said:
I'm in the market for a tablet (or possibly a Chromebook). I'm an editor of a website and need to be able to use it to work on my Wordpress site effectively so strong browser support and keyboard input is crucial.
I like the idea of an Android tablet as I own a Galaxy S4 and have a large collection of Android apps already. Thus, it would also start out with a nice collection of apps.
I'm a bit unclear as to the differences between the Tab Pro 12.2 and the Note Pro 12.2. They seem very alike except for the stylus. Clearly I'm missing something as that's not much to account for the price difference.
I have an iPad 2 and it's nice but I can't really work on it at all. It's too small to enjoy movies on and, sorry, it's Apple so it's too limited.
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.
I'm older so larger is better for my eyes. I'm at a point where I often pretty much need reading glasses for my S4 now.
For ages I was thinking I wanted a Transformer of some design but Asus seems to have fallen behind. Samsung seems to give me lots of potential breathing room.
Any input greatly appreciated.
Which way did u decide to go? I'd love to know your thoughts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

The only difference is the stylus really. If you plan to be taking this to meetings or digitize any part of your handwriting, then the NOTE pro is the device to get, as the TAB pro has no stylus and thus does not specialize itself in taking handwritten notes. I got the wifi version, im satisfied, although probably the LTE snapdragon version may be slightly snappier. If samsung decides to offer some decent customer support in terms of software then overall this will be a good buy. Other than thati find battery life great. I havent used keyboards yet, however if you plan to be using this at a desk u will find the extra screen size v v useful vs the 10 inches. If u plan to be holding it in bed a lot, it could get some time to get used to,but i did. Multi window is v useful in making the experience more windows like and enhances productivity. Browser support is good but not quite the pc levels yet.
You could not investigate surface pro 3 vs this one.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

nesx87 said:
The only difference is the stylus really. If you plan to be taking this to meetings or digitize any part of your handwriting, then the pro is the device to get.
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Click to collapse
They both are called Pro. You meant to say Note Pro if using S pen for note taking. I think there is also difference in RAM, Note Pro has 3Gb, Tab Pro has 2.

ddavtian said:
They both are called Pro. You meant to say Note Pro if using S pen for note taking. I think there is also difference in RAM, Note Pro has 3Gb, Tab Pro has 2.
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Click to collapse
Edited and clarified. Thanks
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Girl527 said:
I'm also wondering about keyboards. If I got this way, should I get the Samsung keyboard, Logitech keyboard or some other keyboard? I'd like to find a very responsive keyboard. It would be an additional boon if it were also pretty quiet. My GF gets disturbed by late night typing on my desktop gaming keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went with the Note Pro 12.2. I'm very glad I did. Here are same random observations:
1. It's not quite as "polished" as an iPad but it is more flexible in use. I'll take that any day.
2. The size is excellent. Very good for watching a film at the airport, etc.
3. Google seems to be the worst thing about the device. Limitations I find all lead to them at the end. For example, Chrome (the browser) is a cheap imitation of its cousins on PC and Chromebooks. It doesn't do spell checking well, it has odd bugs like opening tabs by using the keyboard. Hit CTRL-T and you'll have to sometimes do it twice to get a new tab and then you get two. Google also doesn't give devs a way to re-assign mouse buttons should you use a bluetooth mouse for a bit of laptop-replacement work. That gets a bit strange as the right mouse button doesn't bring up options (like you get when you hold a screen link or item on the touchscreen) but instead acts like the back button on the device. Doh.
4. The keyboards are all a mixed bag. The Zagg is okay but has annoying raised corners than your hands sit on when typing and its also a bit cheap feeling and not very responsive. The Samsung keyboard isn't really a case. It's more like a snap-on cover that's entirely unconnected when used as a keyboard It just lets the tablet sit at an angle in it which makes it tough to use in bed, for example. It also has the same terrible raised corners. The Logitech is the best of the lot. Quiet, well laid-out and robust. However, it too has its own had-banging issues. You can't reassign its macro keys so if you use a different mail app, tough. Hitting the Mail button will bring up Gmail. The Browser button has an annoying bug that forces you to ALWAYS select which browser you'd like to use no matter how many times you "set the default browser". It also lacks the keyboard app Logitech provides for ALL their other similar keyboards including one made for the Tab 10.1. Go figure. Their own support reps don't even understand this.
Regardless, I'm an old quality assurance professional so I can be very opinionated and a perfectionist so this is a very short list of gripes from me. I still wouldn't own anything else given what I've tried and seen. Very happy customer so far. Having access to all my Android apps is great. I just wish Google would look at Android as a complete OS and stop limiting it to just a hand-held-type OS. Give it a FULL version of Chrome. In fact, just dump the fairly useless Chromium OS and put your efforts into this.

Great info!
Agrajag27 said:
I went with the Note Pro 12.2. I'm very glad I did. Here are same random observations:
1. It's not quite as "polished" as an iPad but it is more flexible in use. I'll take that any day.
2. The size is excellent. Very good for watching a film at the airport, etc.
3. Google seems to be the worst thing about the device. Limitation I find all find them at the end. For example, Chrome (the browser) is a cheap imitation of its cousins on nearly the PC and Chrome books. It doesn't do spell checking well, it has odd bugs like opening tabs by using the keyboard. Hit CTRL-T and you'll have to sometimes do it twice to get a new tab and then you get two. Google also doesn't give devs a way to re-assign mouse buttons should you use a bluetooth mouse for a bit of laptop-replacement work. That gets a bit strange as the right mouse button doesn't bring up options (like you get when you hold a screen link or item on the touchscreen) but instead acts like the back button on the device. Doh.
4. The keyboards are all a mixed bag. The Zagg is okay but has annoying raised corners than your hands sit on when typing and its also a bit cheap feeling and not very responsive. The Samsung keyboard isn't really a case. It's more like a snap-on cover that's entirely unconnected when used as a keyboard It just lets the tablet sit at an angle in it which makes it tough to use in bed, for example. It also has the same terrible raised corners. The Logitech is the best of the lot. Quiet, well laid-out and robust. However, it too has its own had-banging issues. You can't reassign its macro keys so if you use a different mail app, tough. Hitting the Mail button will bring up Gmail. The Browser button has an annoying bug that forces you to ALWAYS select which browser you'd like to use no matter how many times you "set the default browser". It also lacks the keyboard app Logitech provides for ALL their other similar keyboards including one made for the Tab 10.1. Go figure. Their own support reps don't even understand this.
Regardless, I'm an old quality assurance professional so I can be very opinionated and a perfectionist so this is a very short list of gripes from me. I still wouldn't own anything else given what I've tried and see. Very happy customer so far. Having access to all my Android apps is great. I just wish Google would look at Android as a complete OS and stop limiting it to just a hand-held-type OS. Give it a FULL version of Chrome. In fact, just dump the fairly useless Chromium OS and put your efforts into this.
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Awesome information! Thanks for taking the time to share your impressions. I'm having a difficult time pulling the trigger on this purchase (why??) and your opinion helps a bunch! Thanks again!